Interactive entertainment system

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods according to the present disclosure provide a costume of a puppet or a character having customizable mixed technology interactive components that enables the wearer of the costume to interact with stimuli in the costume&#39;s or wearer&#39;s surrounding environment as the puppet or character.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/516,089 filed on Jun. 6, 2017, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE

Systems and methods according to the present disclosure provide a puppetor a costume of a puppet or a character having customizable mixedtechnology interactive and/or animatronic components that enables thewearer of the costume or puppet to interact with stimuli in thecostume's or wearer's surrounding environment as the puppet orcharacter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of example implementations of the invention, as illustratedin the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating implementations of thepresent invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an environment in which an interactive costume isprovided according to an example implementation.

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an interactive costume system according to anexample implementation.

FIG. 3 illustrates different types of interactive costumes according toexample implementations.

FIG. 4 illustrates an environment in which an interactive costume isprovided according to an example implementation.

FIG. 5 illustrates an interactive puppet according to an exampleimplementation.

For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in everyfigure. The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. Likereference numbers and designations in the various figures indicate likeelements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detailbelow may be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the describedconcepts are not limited to any particular manner of implementation.Examples of specific implementations and applications are providedprimarily for illustrative purposes.

Systems and methods according to the present disclosure provide acostume or puppet of a character having customizable mixed technologyinteractive components that enables the wearer of the costume or puppetto interact with stimuli in the surrounding environment as thecharacter. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an environment 100 in which astimuli-responsive interactive costume is provided according to anexample implementation. The environment 100 includes four people, suchas wearers 105 a-d, each wearing an interactive costume 110 a-d. Theinteractive costumes 110 a-d may be of a character. As the wearers 105a-d walk through and explore the environment 100, the interactivecostumes 110 a-d interact with stimuli in the surrounding environment.The stimuli can include lights and sounds from a television 115 or otherelectronic device, sounds such as music from a speaker 125, lights andsounds from a puppet 120 and signals from a transceiver 135 in theproximity of the wearers 105 a-d. For example, as the wearers 105 a-dapproach the puppet 120, the interactive costumes 105 a-d detect thepuppet 120 and respond to the sounds, lights, and gestures of the puppet120 with corresponding sounds and lights. Alternatively, by detectingproximity of the puppet 120, for example by detecting an electronicbeacon message (via BLUETOOTH, cellular, WIFI, Near-Field Communication,Zigbee, etc.) transmitted by the puppet 120 or a co-located transceiver,the costumes 105 a may take other actions, such as draw attention of thewearers 110 to the puppet 120 via an audio message or tactile or hapticoutput generated by the costumes 105.

Similarly, the costumes 110 a-110 d can be configured to detect theirproximity to other costumes 110 a-110 d, e.g., via one of a variety ofknown peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols, such as BLUETOOTH.In response to detecting another costume in proximity, a costume can beconfigured to initiate interaction with the other costume, for exampleby outputting an audio greeting, or activating an animatronic appendagein the form of a wave. In some implementations, costumes in proximitycan be configured to “sing” together or otherwise interact and/orexchange data.

The environment 100 can be a themed environment. FIG. 4 illustrates anenvironment 400 in which an interactive costume is provided according toan example implementation. As shown in FIG. 4, two guests in a themedenvironment are wearing interactive costumes and interacting with ananimatronic character and a series of animatronic flowers. Theinteraction can be facilitated by wireless communication betweenhardware integrated into the costumes and components of the themedenvironment. Such communications, may for example, identify the costumetype to the environment to customize the interaction with the wearer ofthe costume. Similarly, wearer preferences, such as desired languagemight be communicated to the themed environment such that theenvironment communicates with the wearer of the costume in their desiredlanguage. In some implementations, the environment can communicate withthe wearer of the costume by wirelessly transmitting audio content to beplayed through speakers integrated into the costume directly to thewearer, such that individual wearers close to one another can heardifferent audio content.

In addition, one or more components of the environment may includeadditional transceivers, such as near field communication transceiversthat are able to detect the presence of a costume or a specific part ofa costume as it draws near. For example, the flowers can detect a nearfield communication signal output by a costume glove worn by a visitorto the environment, and respond by moving, singing, laughing, or throughsome other response.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a system 200 that includes an interactive costume205 for use in the environments shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The interactivecostume 205 receives sound via a microphone 250, for example, located inits ear. The interactive costume 205 receives and records visual cuesvia a camera 245 located, for example, in or proximate to its eyes. Thecostume 205 emits sound via a speaker 240, for example located in itsmouth. The costume 205 may also have smaller speakers for outputtingaudio into the ears of the wearer of the costume 205. The interactivecostume 205 can include actuators 235, transducers 230, sensors 225 andtransceivers 210 in various locations throughout the costume. Theinteractive costume 205 can include motion sensors that allow formovement of the various components, e.g., limbs of the wearer, as wellas the wearer as whole to be recognized. The costume can include varioussensory readers, actuators, and transducers and can produce sensoryeffects such as gentle squeezing, giggling, nudging, warming, coolingand tapping effects.

The interactive costume 205 includes one or more pouches, such as acompartment 215 throughout to hold hardware (and other items anddevices) needed to interact with different technologies. The compartment215 may be used to carry a device 260 that interfaces with the variouscomponents of the costume 205. The device 260 can be a communicationsdevice such as a smartphone or tablet or other portable computingdevice. The smartphone can interface with a server and a memory/storagevia the cloud. The interactive costume 205 may have its own processor255 that interfaces with a memory 220 and which communicates with thesmart phone and/or other processors in the cloud. The server may includedownloadable programs that can be executed by the processor of thesmartphone or a processor of the costume 205. The storage 270 can be adatabase. The costume 205 can collect various data from its surroundingenvironment and transmit the collected data to the cloud 275 to theserver 265 or the memory 270.

As shown above, in some implementations, the interactive costume takesthe form of a body suit or other piece of apparel. In some otherembodiments, the interactive costume may be an interactive animatronicpuppet integrated into a backpack. The puppet can then appear to beriding “piggy-back” on the wearer.

The interactive animatronic puppet integrated into the backpack mayinclude movable parts such as animatronic actuators and transducers. Thebackpack can have theming elements that costume the wearer of thebackpack through add-on pieces (e.g., appendages, facial features,clothing articles, etc.) that include mixed technologies embedded intothem. The backpack straps around the wearer and has pouches orcompartments throughout to hold the hardware (and other items anddevices) needed to interact with different technologies. The interactiveanimatronic puppet can produce facial expressions and gestures inresponse to stimuli from its environment (such as the environment 100 inFIG. 1). For example, in some implementations, the animatronic puppetcan detect other animatronic puppets and wave to greet them. In someimplementations, the animatronic puppet can identify features of anenvironment and identify them to a user, for example by extending anappendage in front of the wearer's face, pointing toward the identifiedfeature. In some implementations can otherwise interact with the wearer,for example by tapping the shoulder, hugging the wearer, or gentlynudging the head of the wearer in a particular direction. The actions ofthe animatronic puppet can be controlled by a processor eitherintegrated directly into the animatronic puppet, included in a smartphone or other mobile computer device coupled to animatronic puppetthrough a wired or wireless connection, or via a processor located inthe cloud. In some implementations, particularly, when not being worn,the animatronic puppet can operate independently of input from a wearer.

FIG. 3 illustrates different types of interactive costumes according toexample implementations. As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, theinteractive costume can be a full body suit with an attached back pack.In some implementations, the interactive costume can be an upper bodycostume with headgear and a backpack. In some implementations, theinteractive costume can be as simple as a glove. Each can have one ormore of the components of the interactive costume shown in FIG. 2. Asdescribed above, the glove can include a transceiver and sensors, aswell as transducers to interact with the surrounding environment and thewearer.

FIG. 5 illustrates an interactive puppet worn on a wearer's armaccording to an example implementation. The interactive puppet can beconverted into an interactive costume. For example, in FIG. 5, thesleeve of the puppet that goes over the wearer's hand can be pulled overthe wearer's head such that the sleeve of the puppet becomes the neck ofthe interactive costume. A hood can then be zipped onto the neck turningthe wearer into a character. The interactive puppet can have much of thefunctionality and supporting hardware described above in relation to theanimatronic backpack.

In some implementations, the interactive costumes and puppets describedabove can be customized. The customization allows for the costume's orpuppet's body, arms, legs and other components to be pieced togetherwith a multitude of interchangeable components. The interchangeablecomponents can provide different functionality, as well as allow thewearer to personalize the costume to their individual tastes. Forexample, some components may include different lighting elements oraudio outputs. The lighting and audio output components can allow thecostume to become part of a live entertainment show. Some components mayinclude animatronic features, while others may be mechanically passive.The interactive costume and puppet backpack can include or acceptelements such as wings, capes, industrial and robotic parts. Theinteractive costume can be adjustable based on the wearer's height,weight and size.

The costume and puppets can include an integrated system allowing forcommunication with a host of interconnected platforms and devices andcan produce a variety of experiences for the wearer using sound, mixedreality glasses, vibrations, lights, motion tracking, mobile deviceactivity, hand controllers, IR, RFID, etc. In some implementations thatincorporate or interact with wearable displays, the costume and/orpuppet can provide and interact with an augmented reality environment.

In some implementations, the backpack and/or costume enable the wearerto “puppet” other devices within an entertainment venue or at in a homeenvironment. For example, motion sensors in the costume can detectmovement of the wearer's appendage and communicate those movements to aremote computing device that causes a video or animatronic version of acharacter to mimic the movements of the wearer, or execute movesindicated by the movements of wearer. For example, the wearer caninstruct a video or animatronic version of a character to executemovements indicated by hand or finger gestures detected by the costume.This functionality allows the wearer to have an experience as if theyhave “virtual strings” are attached to the backpack and costume and itsaccessories.

As mentioned above, the smartphone or device 260 shown in FIG. 2 mayexecute various downloadable applications. In one such application, theapplication can create a virtual representation of the costumed wearerfor inclusion in an augmented reality or virtual reality environment ora virtual puppet show. For example, the application which parts of acostume the wearer has access to in order to build a matching costumefor a digital environment.

In some implementations, an application can leverage location detectionfunctionality of the smart phone, such as GPS, to help direct ornavigate a wearer of the costume through an environment, such as a themepark or convention center. The application can cause the costume toalert the user to attractions or other items of interest, such asparades or other live entertainment, or restaurants or other shoppingvenues. The use can configure the app with their individual intereststhrough a graphical user interface displayed on the mobile device or avia separate web browser.

Some applications can control the overall mode of operation of thecostume. For example, the application can switch the costume between aparental mode, a child mode, a learning mode, an exploratory mode, and asilly mode to adjust a mode of play using the costume. In someimplementations, the interactive costume and puppet backpack can operatein a team/family mode that allows the characters of the interactivecostume and puppet backpack to interact with each other, creating newways of communicating between the wearers.

In some implementations, the applications can enable the costume toacquire new skills over time. For example, the applications can executeone or more machine learning algorithms to detect frequent behaviors orpreferences of the wearer. For example, the application can learn whichentertainment attractions or experiences are preferred by a user, forexample, by measuring and storing heart rates or skin conductance dataof the wearer over time as they experience various activities. Thelearning algorithm can further take into account direct user feedbackentered into the application via speech recognition software or agraphical user interface.

In some implementations, the applications can enable the costume toproduce other experiences that can create fun connections between otherdevices such as smart devices. For example, the costume system can beintegrated with home lighting systems, turning on lights as a wearer ofa costume enters a room. The applications can also pair with othercommonly themed toys or items of home decor. The application can alsopair with a home entertainment system, for example a media player,triggering the streaming of media matching the theme of costume to mediaplayer in proximity. For example, the playing of a theme songcorresponding to a character could be automatically triggered on astereo system as a costume associated with that character enters theroom with the stereo system.

The application can also be used to track the location of the wearer toalert caregivers, parents, guardians or friends of the wearer'swhereabouts. Virtual fencing can be used to alert such persons when thewearer leaves a particular geography or separates from a wearer ofanother specified costume by more than a selected distance.

In some implementations, an application connected to the costume cancause the puppet packs to respond to related streaming shows. Forexample, the costume can receive the streamed media at the same time asa media player, and respond in synchronicity, for example, by singingalong or dancing to the media.

The interactive costume and the puppet backpack can provide a learningsystem by communicating with the wearer. For example, the applicationcan teach the wearer, using the costume, how to navigate a particularenvironment by controlling transducers in the costume that producevibrations that can nudge in a particular direction. In addition, thecostume can nudge the wearer to notice something in the environmentwhile audio about the identified object is output through the costumesspeakers. In another example, the costume and application can be used ina dance class to teach a wearer a particular dance. For example, thecostume or backpack can direct the wearer through specific dance stepsby whispering the instructions into the wearer's ear in combination witha gentle vibration produced against the wearer's arm, leg or other bodypart.

In some embodiments, the costume and puppet backpack can be waterproofand therefore, submerged in water. The costume and puppet backpack canbe worn in a wet interactive environment such as an interactive waterattraction or interactive water park.

The interactive costume and puppet backpack can serve members of thespecial needs community in a fun and lighthearted manner. For example,interactive costume and puppet backpack can assist autistic, deaf, blindor developmentally challenged individuals.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: an interactive environmentcomprising one or more sensors, processors, and/or transmitters; and acostume or puppet comprising one or more sensors, processors, and/ortransmitters, and an animatronic feature, wherein the costume or puppetstores information regarding a wearer of the costume or puppet, whereinthe sensors of the interactive environment detect signals transmitted bythe costume or puppet that comprise the information regarding thewearer, wherein the sensors of the puppet or costume detect signalstransmitted by the interactive environment, wherein, in response todetecting, by the sensors of the interactive environment, the signalstransmitted by the costume or puppet, the one or more processors of theinteractive environment determine an appropriate response to be producedin the interactive environment based on the information regarding thewearer; and wherein, in response to detecting, by the sensors of thecostume or puppet, the appropriate response produced in the interactiveenvironment, operating, by the one or more processors of the costume orpuppet, the animatronic feature of the costume or puppet to physicallyinteract with the wearer of the costume or puppet in a direction of theappropriate response in the interactive environment.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the response to be produced comprises sound, light,tactile output, haptic output or vibration, smoke, video, or movement offeatures.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the response occurs withinthe interactive environment.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein theresponse occurs within the puppet or costume.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the response comprises a virtual reality or augmented realityeffect.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein signals are detected using anelectronic beacon message.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the puppetsor costumes are capable of detecting the presence of other puppets orcostumes, and the puppets or costumes are capable of interacting witheach other.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein an external device may beused to serve as or augment the processor for interacting with theinteractive environment or costume or puppet.
 9. The system of claim 8,wherein the external device includes a smart phone.
 10. The system ofclaim 8, wherein the external device includes a tracking or detectionsystem capable of detecting visual, audio, tactile, motion-based, orelectronic or other sensory cues, either within the interactiveenvironment or in any other environment.
 11. The system of claim 1,wherein the responses triggered may be modified based on machinelearning.
 12. A method comprising: by one or more processors associatedwith a costume or puppet, transmitting one or more signals comprisinginformation regarding a wearer of the costume or puppet to sensors of aninteractive environment; by the one or more processors, determining thatthe interactive environment produced a response to the transmission; bythe one or more processors, determining a relative direction of theresponse in the interactive environment with respect to the wearer; andby the one or more processors, in response to determining that theinteractive environment produced the response to the transmission,operating an animatronic feature of the costume or puppet to physicallyinteract with the wearer of the costume or puppet in the relativedirection of the response in the interactive environment.